Famous local residents

Many famous people have been born, married or died in Kent. Here are just a few.

Charles Dickens

Died at Gads Hill Place, Higham on 9 June 1870. Gads Hill Place is now a popular approved wedding venue for civil marriage ceremonies.

Dickens had first seen the house at Gads Hill when it was pointed out to him by his father when he was a boy.

His father said as a joke that one day it might be his when he was rich and famous.

Of course Dickens did become rich and famous and bought the house in 1856.

But did you know that Dickens nearly came to grief 5 years before his eventual death?

He was travelling from Folkestone to London on the Tidal Express at the scene of the Staplehurst Railway Disaster on 9 June 1865.

Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming achieved worldwide fame and fortune as the creator of a series of spy novels.

His career started with Casino Royale in 1953, and was built around the exploits of his amoral hero James Bond.

Ian Fleming died in Canterbury on 12 August 1964.

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (or Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski as he was christened) was born into an aristocratic Polish family.

His parents died in exile and a young Joseph became a sailor travelling the world.

These experiences were later turned into successful novels including An Outcast of the Islands and Lord Jim.

Joseph became one of Britain's great writers. He died near Canterbury on 3 August 1924.

Joseph Lister

Joseph Lister was regarded as England's greatest surgeon.

He used carbolic acid as a bactericidal substance for surgical dressings and as a general antiseptic.

He was the founder of the antiseptic principle and due to his work, internal surgical operations were made possible.

He was the first medical man to be made a member of the House of Lords.

He died at Walmer on 10 February 1912.

Mary Tourtel (creator of Rupert the Bear)

Mary was born in Palace Street, Canterbury on 28 January 1874 and died at Canterbury Hospital on 15 March 1948.

The Rupert stories first appeared in the Daily Express on 8 November 1920.

She produced 85 original stories and the last frame of these appeared on 27 June 1935.

Rupert was originally drawn with a blue jersey but printing processes for some of the early books used only red and shades of red on a white background which meant that his jersey was changed from blue to red and has remained so ever since.

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington is best remembered as the British army commander during the Napoleonic Wars.

He is particularly remembered for the famous victory over the French under Napoleon at Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

He was also Prime Minister from 1828 to 1830 and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

As Lord Warden his official residence was at Walmer Castle and he died there on 14 September 1852.

He is buried under the dome of St. Pauls Cathedral beside Lord Nelson.

William Henry Smith MP

W H Smith was the grandson of the founder of the well known booksellers.

Although appointed as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports he was never officially installed.

This was due to parliamentary business followed by a period of ill health leading to his death.

He died at Walmer Castle on 6 October 1891.